Coldplay Cover Prince’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ with James Corden

Coldplay invited a special guest performer to the stage on Sunday (Aug. 21) during their set at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. While introducing Late Late Show host James Corden, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said the band’s relationship with the late night host goes way back.

“What people don’t know is that there was another guy that we all met and we all thought was the most talented member, and he was so good that if he had been in our band forever, we’d be the best band you ever knew. But instead he chose to forge his own path,” Martin said while introducing Corden. “But I’m very pleased to tell you that – in honor of Prince tonight because we wanna honor Prince – we managed to convince our missing and best member to come back into the band. You may know him from things like ‘Carpool Karaoke’ and that kind of s—, but we know him as the guy who turned down being in a band with us.”

The venue then erupted in screams as Corden walked up a smaller pop-up stage in the middle of the venue.

“Thanks for letting me back in the band, guys. I appreciate it,” Corden said before he explained how he got to join Coldplay on stage. “So this is an idea that Chris said to me. He said, ‘I think you should come sing this at the Rose Bowl.’ I’ll be honest, I didn’t know how big it was when I said yes.”

Corden then kicked off the first verse of an impressive cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Watch it below.

The comedian and master mind behind “Carpool Karaoke” was celebrating a birthday the next day and Martin & Co. wouldn’t let him off the stage without a proper “Happy Birthday” singalong, which included a cake. It was a night Corden will probably never forget.